HVAC Success Secrets: Revealed

EP: 233 Amanda Jones w/ Microf - Financing Made Simple for HVAC

• Amanda Jones

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🚀 Exciting New Episode Alert! 🚀

We're thrilled to share our latest episode of **HVAC Revealed** featuring the amazing Amanda Jones, National Contractor Training Manager at Microf. Amanda brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, from her roots in entrepreneurship to her current role, helping HVAC contractors succeed.

In this episode, we dive into some invaluable insights that you won't want to miss. Here are three key takeaways:

🔑 Key Takeaways:

- Lead with Monthly Payment Options:

- Instead of offering "financing," which can carry a stigma, present solutions with monthly payment options like, "I can get this system for $80/month." This tactic can make customers feel more comfortable and open to the conversation.

- Optimize Your Website for Financing:

- Ensure your website has a clear and accessible financing tab. Many customers are hesitant to contact you if they aren't sure they can afford the service. A financing tab can ease fears and lead to a significant increase in leads.

- Empower Your Sales Team:

- Train your sales team to comfortably ask for sensitive information like Social Security numbers. Use role-play and continuous training to build their confidence. The more at ease they are, the better they'll convey financing options to customers.

Tune In!

Catch the full episode to learn more expert insights from Amanda Jones on effectively incorporating financing into your HVAC business strategy. 🚀

#HVACRevealed #Podcast #HVAC #Microf #Entrepreneurship #SalesTraining #CustomerFinance #BusinessGrowth


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Amanda Jones:

A lot of people, especially consumers that are credit challenged, they are afraid or embarrassed, I should say, to call and get someone to come to their home when they know they don't have the credit and they know they don't have the cash to pay for it.

Thaddeus Tondu:

Hey, welcome back to another episode of HVAC Success Secrets Revealed with Thaddeus and Evan, where we have good conversations with good people and any good conversation with Thad when he's drunk. We should have got you a drink at the bar, but our bad. So but we're going to have one. So I never got a taste of that gentleman's old fashioned last night because he was at a whiskey when he was making it and he was waiting for more. He's waiting for more. He's waiting for him. Like I'm tired of waiting. So I moved on. So now I'm having it. It is a fantastic old fashioned. But we are live at the Dallas Rocket X event 2024. So we wouldn't be here without our sponsor. Elite call. So thank you guys so much for making it happen for us to be here. But first a little word about them. Have you ever thought about outbounding your database to fill your dispatch boards as lucrative service and sales appointments? How about boosting your memberships too? Now you can with EliteCall, a US based call center that does just that. For over 20 years, their dedicated teams don't just make calls, they directly integrate these appointments into your CRM and fill your job boards. Don't let your competition get ahead. Let EliteCall connect with your customers first. Visit elitecall.net to learn more. Enhance your online presence with On Purpose Media, your go to home service marketing experts for everything web design, SEO, and PPC. Stunning user friendly websites? Checkmark. Increased visibility on search engines? Also a checkmark. Targeted traffic through effective pay per click ads? You betcha. So let's go ahead and turn your online presence into a lead generating powerhouse visit onpurposemedia.ca to start your digital transformation and watch your home service company thrive in the digital world. Today we have on Amanda Jones. She is the national contractor training manager from Microf in terms of helping contractors do some financing so helping them with their monthly payment training phrasing the word a little bit better than financing, which is probably something we're going to get into a little bit itself I actually asked her what her superpower was before we got into this in her superpowers financing is a hard conversation with sales individuals and with owners and her superpowers breaking that down to be able to make it more of a natural conversation to enhance and augment the sales process be able to do what's best for the customer and in turn helping your business on the long run. But she's been in the industry for 10 years and before that she was with Mary Kay and built up a very successful business there as well. So knows the thing or two about it. So welcome Amanda to the show. Perfect. So well, let's just go transition from Mary Kay Into the hrex space how and why and what did you learn? Did you have a pink Cadillac?

Evan Hoffman:

Nice. Now, she was a badass

Thaddeus Tondu:

She's like bet you didn't think I'd be talking about that

Amanda Jones:

I know how that works and I enjoyed the contractors affiliated, so.

Thaddeus Tondu:

And I think that like the background, it makes sense and when you your kids and how old they are and when you transition, it makes a ton of sense. But that the whole family of entrepreneurs really kicked off that ability, for you itself. And so looking at the conversations that you have with business owners, how has that experience from the family background helps you in your current role?

Amanda Jones:

Yeah, my, and they grew their business from the ground up. So when you grow your business to learn how to sell, how to do hr, how to, price your overhead, how to make sure that you are doing all the things as a small business and growing the business and they were able to in multiple aspects and knowing that knowledge, seeing them do it, and also having a hand in it'cause I was also in the family business helped me understand how small businesses and how they can become more successful. Everyone's still learning. I'm still learning market changes, marketing changes but learning all of that first hand as a daughter and then implementing that with the contractors has been super helpful.

Thaddeus Tondu:

What did they do? What type of industries were they in?

Amanda Jones:

So we, my grand and he actually, and he grew that, he had about 15 trucks that he managed, my dad owned a convenience store, then sold it and got into mechanic work and actually ran a mechanic tire shop and grew that very far too from the bandit while still running the trucking company from our grade.

Thaddeus Tondu:

In taking the experiences from trucking to convenience store to mechanic shop and being around that and knowing that and seeing some of that, what sort of similarities in business have you saw across the board and now working with business owners in the HVAC and plumbing space, what sort of similarities have you seen in business?

Amanda Jones:

The blue collar guys are the same regardless of the industry that you're in. They're good old boys that are just trying to be successful and do the things that they can, the best they can for their families and everyone involved and their goals are the same. It's just different trade that's it.

Evan Hoffman:

Yep and then, so how did you get into the finance world now, working with Microf?

Amanda Jones:

Yeah, so I actually have an accounting degree. I have a master's in business, an accounting, a bachelor's in accounting, and I came to Microf to become, to work in the accounting department and they had decided that because of my background in sales, hey, you might be good at this role. So I worked my way up in Microf, I started off in the origination and then became the supervisor in the best department moved into sales as an account manager with top contractors helped build them and then decided, hey, I want to, I personally was going to school to become a teacher and a professor they, Microf asked me, hey, if Amanda could do anything, what would Amanda do? And Amanda said, I like to teach, I like to train and so they created the role for me to be able to do what I love.

Thaddeus Tondu:

They created it for you? They created it for me. Wow. That's super cool.

Amanda Jones:

Yeah, and they'd come up with a program to figure out what our, what our, what What we're good at and put us in that place.

Thaddeus Tondu:

In taking on a role that was created, and I think sometimes in business, in HVAC companies and plumbing companies, it seems hey, first we're going to create a role or create an apartment or grow this and that and the other thing. What were, what was the biggest challenge that you guys had to overcome in creating this role that could be relatable to another business?

Amanda Jones:

It wasn't the first role that has ever, it's not the first training manager, there's training managers. So we had to, instead of creating it from the ground up, we looked at what other people were doing. Implement that, we didn't recreate the wheel, in other words. We said, let's implement that, see how it can work, what our contractors want, what are their needs, how can we serve them, because they're the customer, what is best for them. And what we found is some contractors. Some contractors prefer in person. Some contractors prefer on the phone. Some people prefer webinar. It just all depends. And so we created what each contractor would want and provide those services in all aspects. So we can do virtual, we can do in person, we can, we have a video that I've created that's self sufficient. And continuing to educate in different levels. Not everyone needs the same training. Some people are being. Specifically, how do you put in an application? How do you start talking to a contractor? So every conversation, every training is separated so that it suits their needs and what their role is. Learning how, what each contractor needed, and then putting that across the board for everybody. It's not just one thing that they have access

Thaddeus Tondu:

In terms of contractor needs, in examining that and going deep into, okay, what are their needs? What do I need to focus on? What do I need to do? You probably saw a lot of similarities and patterns evolve. Yes. What were your top three?

Amanda Jones:

A lot of contractors don't offer financing, so I have to teach them how to offer and not just me, it's a group effort. Yep. And all of the financing companies, we're all trying to help them learn how to offer financing because it can grow their business. It's a significant thing for them. that is the number one thing, is that we found out that they're not offering financing. Even though they have access to it, they don't lead with financing and the way that you lead with it isn't, Hey, we have financing. Do you want to apply? It's leading with, Hey, I can help you get the system for a, monthly payment of 80 bucks, 180 bucks, whatever it is. It's leading with, Josh was actually saying, hey, you can leave with 3 a day to get your system restored. Those type of conversations is what the contractors and the sales guys are learning how to offer.

Thaddeus Tondu:

And it's a big distinguishing factor between, hey, I can get you financing or I can do it for 80 a month. Because the pride thing is, hey, I can get you financing. People are like, oh, I don't need financing. I don't need financing. I don't need financing. Even though they actually do.

Amanda Jones:

Homeowners know it's better to use other people's money, not mine. And if you use different language of, hey, I can get it for 80 bucks a month, and there's no pre paid penalty, they'll consider doing it more than mine, even if they have the cash.

Evan Hoffman:

How you word it to a customer, but also how you word it to your technicians because more often than not, you take your own buying habits, you take your own preconceptions as to what it is that you would feel like as a customer, and you enforce that onto a customer, onto a client and it gets really confusing for them, and you're no longer serving them. So it's really important that you put that, that proper framework around it and communicate it effectively.

Amanda Jones:

You have to perfect it and once I perfect it, you'll sell it every single time.

Thaddeus Tondu:

I

Amanda Jones:

do

Thaddeus Tondu:

want to get to the second and third one too, but I want to go a little bit deeper on the point number one in pre framing the expectation around monthly payments and monthly options or whatever try not to use the word financing here, right? When you run a Facebook Ad a meta ad or whatever, right? When you put the word financing meta's gonna decline it, right? But if you put monthly options or available at, and now it's a different phrase everybody knows what it is. In what ways In what other ways can business owners, one is wording and phrasing that, in what other ways can a business owner then to either, if they're the ones doing sales or empowering their sales team, to be able to put a better spin and a better presentation, a better polish, a better everything, so they end up getting a, what is it, a 60 percent increase in their sales?

Amanda Jones:

Yeah. Some contracts, your system needs to be replaced, we have options. We can do it, monthly pay and do cash. We can do card, phrasing it in the very beginning, having that conversation in the pre sale, helps have that conversation for the sales guy vetting, essentially, consumers when they're calling in, and seeing exactly what they're needing, and preparing the sales guy to have a success, a visit, yeah.

Thaddeus Tondu:

Yep. It makes sense, right? And then you put that in the notes, and then if you know that somebody's really good at selling financing and really good at cash offers you send them to different ones. I like it. Did you want anything to add in point number one at all before we move on to point two or three?

Evan Hoffman:

Yeah, it's setting the frame up front, right? You can even get your CSRs, right? On the phone. Hey, don't forget to ask about our affordable monthly options and anytime that someone's asking about cost on the phone, cause how often does that happen? When a lead comes in, right? To be able to say, it's going to vary. It's going to change depending on what work is necessary, but don't worry. Rest assured. Okay. We have monthly options that make sense.

Thaddeus Tondu:

No, it makes sense. So that's point number one. The second and third thing that you found out, what's number two?

Amanda Jones:

Number two is their websites. A lot of contractors their websites consistently, which they should, as they should, but they're not adding a financing tab on their website. A lot of people, especially consumers that are credit challenged, they are afraid or embarrassed, I should say to call and get someone to come to their home when they know they don't have the credit and they know they don't have the cash to pay for it and having a financing tab on your website makes a huge impact and gets clicks and a lot of our contractors will say, I don't know who this customer is, let me call them and see. And we'll go and give them a proposal and about 10% I would say of their consumers are clicking on their website for financing and applying without even speaking to anyone in their organization. So it can increase their sales just simply by adding it to their website.

Thaddeus Tondu:

And if you're listening to this and you're like, Hey, you know what, I don't have that on my website or if I need that on my website onpurposemedia.ca, go to that, submit our contact form, and we can build you one. There you go, I had to slide that one in there. I realize that when she's saying that, I'm like, shit, I didn't even mention On Purpose Media as a sponsor of it because guess what? They are sponsors of this show. We are sponsors of the show they, we have a team but it's also us. So would you put it, in there? Cause you mentioned they go and they pre qualify. I happen to know how Microf has some of their stuff. Cause guess what? We have clients who have it on their website. But I don't want to give that answer away. How does that system work? What, what goes on? What do they need to do? They're like, somebody might be listening, it's what? They can pre, they can apply online before you even get there? How?

Amanda Jones:

Yeah, all of the lenders have access to your own personalized consumer URL link so that the consumer can apply through your website. So the way that works is you get a landing page that's lender or the financing company and you embed that link, aka the marketing team, into that landing page. The consumer clicks on it or where it says apply now. They get pre qualified and you get an email saying, hey, this consumer has been pre qualified give them a call, give them a proposal. When you have a proposal, finish the sale and you're able to move on. It's very simple and no hands on at all. It's nothing for the contractor. It's just put it on your website. You'll get some clicks.

Thaddeus Tondu:

Yep and here's the best part. I'm gonna do what you did.'cause you looked at the camera and you said that, I'm like, I think she's a pro but here's the thing is, when you have that, it's the unique identifier. So some people might be wondering, okay, they're gonna go to a Microf site or any other financing provider site. Now it's just gonna get lost they're gonna send it to whoever know because it comes in with that unique link. It's actually tied back to your profile. So now they actually know, okay, this was a client from Acme plumbing or ABC heating or whatever your name is and then if they don't fill out the contact form, they're going to send that link and that information over to you to be able to go book that call.

Evan Hoffman:

Yeah. So now would you recommend contractors or CSR start to talk about that on the call and say, before we come out for a visit, you can also get pre approved.

Amanda Jones:

Yes. Okay. It's to each it's own, however they handle the sale, but yes, absolutely, the CSRs can just feeding that little bit of tidbit, because the consumer is already thinking about, Oh, I have this option, so I'd, they're more comfortable, their guard is down, they know that they have options and they're more willing to proceed with you going in. It helps eliminate shopping around, because they don't want to put in too much money. Multiple applications with these lenders. That's another way to eliminate that.

Thaddeus Tondu:

Yeah, so when the consumer is saying, Hey, my system is completely down. I know that this is old.

Amanda Jones:

I've been told. You already came out and repaired it. I've been told it's going to be going down soon. It's down. I need to get a proposal on the new system. When that happens, the CSR can say, yeah, let me go ahead and book that call for you. Get that on the schedule oh, by the way, like I said, we have, monthly payment options for you. You can look on our website, see what there are available but the sales guy will go in more detail with you whenever he gets to the home. Whatever you'd like to do, we take, we do the monthly payments. We do cash checks. However you want to do it, but we will get you taken care of making them feel comfortable in knowing that there are options for them.

Thaddeus Tondu:

And it's pre framing the sales, right? Because when they show up and they show a good, better, best, and they show the monthly options that are lower well, okay, now they're already expecting it. Yeah.

Evan Hoffman:

From a marketing perspective, just out of curiosity, do you know if you're able to pass attribution back if someone fills out the form on the so if someone comes to the website from a GMB, we're gonna put the UTM code on there to track that they came from there, and then they leave the site to go to yours to fill out that form. Are we able to get that attribution back?

Amanda Jones:

Yes. So does the contractor. So both, yes. It actually identifies how the app, how the lead came in, whether it was them entering an information, if the consumer was entering it in through their website, or, however other forms it may be. It also tracks who the sales rep was, there you go. That way you can say, hey, the sales rep's using it, the sales rep's we need to train them.

Thaddeus Tondu:

Yep. Even better. Point number three.

Amanda Jones:

Yeah, so point number three is the sales rep specifically not feeling comfortable in getting the consumer's social security number, not feeling comfortable with asking them the hard questions of how is your credit, those type of questions are hard for them. And so teaching and making them feel comfortable with that was imperative for the sales guys. And sales technicians, whoever is selling in the home, making them feel comfortable in having a conversation with the homeowner so that the homeowner is comfortable with them as well. Because when the sales guy is awkward, the homeowner is going to be hesitant to give you the information immediately. So making them feel comfortable with that is the key thing.

Thaddeus Tondu:

And that comfortable factor is so huge. Now, how do you make somebody or help them understand to ask those questions, and it's okay to ask those questions, and to be more comfortable in doing it.

Amanda Jones:

The way, having the CSR have that conversation previously, before the sales guys are going out, helps the customer bring it up to the sales rep, also the sales rep's prepared for it, so they feel more comfortable in talking about it, because they're already familiar with it. Now, that's obviously the best thing to do however, there are others where the sales rep just gets comfortable by doing it. If you don't use it, you lose it and getting that, perfecting your pitch every single time makes it better and using it and not losing it. That's the key thing and making, training the sales guys, giving them an elevator pitch so that they know how to do it. That's where the owners and the managers can help them be successful.

Thaddeus Tondu:

Yep and roleplay, and then when you think you've roleplayed guess what? Roleplay some more.

Evan Hoffman:

And go back and listen to the calls too being able to review how your team is doing should be something that's common practice. I know a lot of our clients do it and they see a ton of improvement in their team when they start working with them, listening to the calls, and not just doing it and judging them, but having them do it and judge themselves and critique themselves based on what it is that they're saying.

Thaddeus Tondu:

We've covered three deep, three deep points and I think we even touched on all of the superpower too. Finance is a hard combo with the salespeople and that was really the last one there. Evan, did you want to add anything in before we, we wrap things up? We want to be respectful, obviously, of the event time and such. Did you have any other comments? Thoughts, comments, or concerns, or ideas?

Evan Hoffman:

Any other best practices in terms of presenting that option to the customer? That that makes the most sense?

Amanda Jones:

Doing it every, on every sales call. Yeah. CSR, implementing it, adding it to our website. Those are the

Thaddeus Tondu:

Love it. And I think the underlying one is preconceived bias. In not making, not having this bias, right? Like you could go into, a multi million dollar home and you're like, oh, these people are multi millionaires. They don't need financing. The reality is they could be broke jokes, right? And they could be living above their means and keep up with the Joneses and so

Evan Hoffman:

not only that, but they have gotten to that point for a reason. Generally they're used to using other people's money in order to leverage that time.

Thaddeus Tondu:

They use other people's money and the other part too, they could look at it saying, okay, if I'm gonna pay X percent on this, I can actually take the other money and I can put it into somewhere else and earn more money. So my opportunity cost is higher and so they also understand those things and so not having that preconceived bias and like you could also go into a home that you might think needs financing. Guess what? They got stacks of cash, right? It's buried in the backyard. Buried in the backyard, right? They come out they're taking the dirt off the case and be able to hand you the money, right? And so this bias that you just don't know, right? And so it's best to understand, maybe ask those pre framed questions and if you don't have that, don't go in with this preconceived bias that these people need it or they don't need it. You should always lead with it as an option, because I think, and I'm, I think myself as a buyer, right? If somebody prevents me about the options, okay, well. it would be my cash price. Yeah. And I would ask that question, right? Yes and because I wanna know that because generally speaking, I'm gonna I usually buy how I buy. And that's and that's something to understand for a lot of people as well.

Amanda Jones:

Absolutely.

Evan Hoffman:

I'm curious, are you in California?

Amanda Jones:

I'm not, I'm in Georgia.

Evan Hoffman:

Okay, because you slipped in credit challenged as opposed to bad credit. I was like, that's very PC of you.

Amanda Jones:

Yeah, we, that's better language than bad credit. Yeah. They're not bad people.

Evan Hoffman:

No, definitely not.

Thaddeus Tondu:

Yeah, credit challenged, yeah.

Amanda Jones:

That's the pre notion of bad credit, when you say bad credit. People immediately get defensive and say, I'm not bad, I just had a situation that happened.

Thaddeus Tondu:

Monthly

Amanda Jones:

options,

Thaddeus Tondu:

not financing.

Evan Hoffman:

Yeah,

Thaddeus Tondu:

it's like

Evan Hoffman:

when I talk to my girlfriend, I'm like, you're not short, you're just vertically challenged.

Thaddeus Tondu:

I say that to my wife all the time, I still get an eye roll. As we wrap up here, Amanda, we do have one final question for you and that is, what is one question that you wish people would ask you more, but don't?

Amanda Jones:

A lot of contractors think that All financing is the same, right? All of the lenders are the same. We're not. We're all different. We actually all work together, there are, you have a prime customer for prime financing, there are lenders for prime, there is a secondary lender option, and then there's a tertiary lender option, and I'm the tertiary. Not asking, hey, what other lenders can I get help from here, for what other options are financing? Can you help me with? I can help in all aspects. There's, we are partnered with all of them not asking what are my options whenever, I don't know that you don't need, you don't need, you don't, you need options. A lot of contractors come to me and they're like, I just need financing. They have no financing. Okay I'm for tertiary, so I need you to get a primary, so let's work on getting them to understand, yes, you need financing, but you need multiple facets of financing for all of your customers. So that's the main thing.

Thaddeus Tondu:

You need three different levels.

Evan Hoffman:

Love it.

Thaddeus Tondu:

Yep, makes sense.

Evan Hoffman:

If

Thaddeus Tondu:

people

Evan Hoffman:

want to reach out to you and get a hold of you, what's the best way to do that?

Amanda Jones:

Yeah so, I am available via email which is ajones@miccrof.com

Thaddeus Tondu:

Perfect. We'll be sure to put those in the show notes for you guys after and the bathroom stall right after we're done. Yeah but perfect. Well, thank you so much for taking the time out of the event here today to chat. We definitely enjoyed the conversation. Just shed some great knowledge and I was loved when I learned things from our guests and I definitely learned a few things from you. So thank you so much for that.

Amanda Jones:

I appreciate being here.

Thaddeus Tondu:

Perfect.

Evan Hoffman:

Thank you so much.

Thaddeus Tondu:

And until next time.

Evan Hoffman:

Cheers.

Thaddeus Tondu:

Well, That's a wrap on another episode of HVAC Success Secrets Revealed. Before you go, two quick things. First off, join our Facebook group, facebook.com/groups/hvacrevealed. The other thing, if you took one tiny bit of information out of this show, no matter how big, no matter how small, All we ask is for you to introduce this to one person in your contacts list. That's it. That's all. One person. So they too can unleash the ultimate HVAC business. Until next time. Cheers.